Locomotive and tender connection



E. G. DEAN.

LOCOIVIO'IIIVE AND TENDER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20,1918.

Patented De@ 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. G. DEAN.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20.1918.

Patented Dee. 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- may ( wat Y ma Wl TNESSES:

ERNEST Gr. DEAN, OFSCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER CONNECTION.

Patented Dec. 2, 191.19..

Application led April 20, 1918. Serial N0. 229,730.

To all whom/.it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST G. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locomotive and Tender Connections, of which improvement ythe following is a spec1fication.

My invention relates to means for detachably connecting a locomotive )engine and tender, of the general class or type in which a draft connection supplemental tox the main draw bar, is applied to prevent the separation Vof the two vehicles, in the event of the breakage of the latter, instances of which are e-xem'plified in the United States patents of H. A. Hoke, N o. 1,216,692, February 20, 1917, and C. L. Heisler, No. 1,257,859, February 26, 1918. The object of my invention is to provide a connecting appliance of such character, which shall be of ready and inexpensive application 1n standard constructions of the vehicles to be connected, reliable in operation; and in which the degree of slack requisite in the supplemental safety connection shall be reduced to the minimum, and shall be substantially the same whether the vehicles are passing curves or tangente of the track.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter vfully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical -longitudinal central section through an appliance embodying my invention, and through the adjoining portions of a "locomotive and tender on which it is fixed; Fig. 2, a horizontal section through the same; Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 8, diagrammatic plan views, partly in section, illustrating structural modifications; Fig. 4, a longitudi nal central section through the construction shown in Fig. 3, and, Fig. 7, a similar `section through the construction shown in Fig. 6.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, a locomotive and tender are, as heretofore, connected by a main draw bar, 1, which is coupled to the locomotive by a pin, 2, passing through eyes or sockets, 3, on the foot plate, 3, and, to the tender, by a pin, 4, passing through eyes or sockets, 5, on the draw bar pin casting, 5.

The locomotive and tender are also connearly in the same horizontal plane, and an .intermediate segmental link, 10a, to which the vrear en ds of the links, 10, 10, are articulated by p1ns, 10b, l0". The forward ends of the.l1nks, 10, 10are coupled to pins, 10c, 10c, on the foot plate ofthe locomotive, which are preferably, as shown, of the same diameter as the pins, 10b, so that the links,

10, lO, shall be interchangeable, end for end,

andthe segmental intermediate link, 10, passes around a segmental bearing, 6, formed on or firmly secured to, the draw bar pin casting, 5, of the tender. operation of the appliance, the auxiliary connection is not subjected to any strain of draft1t being Aexempted therefrom by mak-4 in g the links, 10, 10, of such length that a s llght space, providing for slack or lost m0- tion, is present between the bearing, 6, and the link, 10a. the main draw bar, thevstrain of draft is lmmediately taken by the auxiliary or safety connection, and theseparation of the locomotive and tender is thereby prevented.

It will be seen that under the above de-4 scribed construction, the longitudinally ex tending links of the auxiliary or safety connection will remain substantially paral-v parallel therewith and In the normal l In the event of the breakage of around curves, and the slack required for the auxiliary connection will therefore be reducible to the minimum, and will remain substantially constant on both 'curves and tangents.

Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive illustrate a structural modification, in which the auxiliary or safety connection is in the form of a fiexible cable,'10x, which, operatively, constitutes the mechanical equivalent of the articulated chain, 10, 10a, l0, first described. The forward ends ofv the cable, 10X, are looped around the pins, 10-, on the locomotive,and, as shown in Fig.l 5, the rear loop or bight of the cable passes around the segmental bearing, 6, on the tender, space for slack or lost motion being allowed, as in the former instance. In the further structural modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the tender bearing for the auxiliary or safety connection is 2o the combination of a main draw bar, pivoted in the form of -a sheave, 6", around which the-bight of the cable passes, and which is tted, with proper allowance for lost m tion, on the tender draw pin, 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate roller bearings,

, tted in the segmental link, 10, of Figs.-

1 and 2, and abutting on the bearing, 6, when the connection is renderedoperative b the breakage of the main draw bar, and ig 10 8 shows the segmental link 10, extending around a sheave, 6", fit-ted on the tender draw bar pin, 4, as in liigs. Band 4. 4

It will be obvious that, if desired, the bearing, 6, and the pins, 10, ofthe connection, may be transposed in location, z'. e. the

`former may be on the locomotiveand the latter on the tender.

' cure by Letters Patent:

I claim as my invention andldesirel to se- 1. In a locomotive and tender connection,

' at one end to a locomotive and at the other i to a tender; and a'flexible auxiliary or safety connection, coupled, at two oints,.to the -locomotive ,and adapted to a ut, wlth the capacity of slack or lost motion, on a smgle i v bearing on the tender, the main draw bar and the 'safety connection lying in substantially the Same horizontal plane.

2. In a locomotive and tender connection,

the combination of a main draw bar, pivoted at one end to a'locomotive and at the other to atender; a iexible auxiliary or safety connection, havin its ends coupled to the locomotive; and a earm on the tender, around which said'connection is looped Y auxiliary or safety connection comprising g extending substantially l link and bearing.

two substantially parallel side members and an intermediate segmental member having itsends coupled to the locomotive; and a bearing on the tender, around which said 'connection is looped with the capacity of slack or lost motion, relatively to the tender. 4. In a locomotive and tender connection, the combination of a main draw bar, pivoted at one end to a locomotive and at the other t0 a tender; an auxiliary'or safety connection comprising two longitudinally arallel links, each \pivoted to the 1ocomot1ve, and an intermediate segmental link, articulated to said longitudinally extending links; and a curved bearing on the tender, around which said segmental link is fitted, with the capacity of slack or lost motion, relatively to the tender.

5. In a locomotive and tender connection,

the combination with a main draw bar pivoted at one end to the locomotive and at its other end-to the tender, of a supplemental draw bar or safety connection consisting of apairof links pivoted to the locomotive, and a curved link .movable in a tpath substantially concentric with Athe pvot of the main draw bar, said lpair of links havin pivotal connection wit the curved link an said curved link having a lost motion connection with the tender.

6. In a locomotive and tender connection, the combination-with a main draw bar, pivoted to the locomotive and tender, of a supplemental draw bar or safet connection comprising a pair lof rigid-'lin pivoted to the locomotive and a rigid curved link, to the ends of which the afore-mentioned links arepivoted, 'and a long curved bearing Jfor said curved link on the tender, there being a lost motion connection between said curved ERNEST G. DEAN.y

Witnesses:

EvnRnT'r'W. BLANCHARD, WILLIAM B. Rim). 

